JCC participates in 10th Export Roundtable

On May 14, 2024, the Joint Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-East Europe, Central Asia, and South Caucasus (JCC), represented by its Vice President Iurie Moraru participated to the 10th Export Roundtable headed by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin.

The 10th Export Roundtable brought together representatives from 19 economic associations and chambers of commerce, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI) and its swissnex network, Presence Switzerland (FDFA), as well as the Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV), Swiss Rail, AEROSUISSE, Swissmem, Swiss Textile, Federation de l’Industrie Horologère Suisse, Swiss Export, Swiss Medetch, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland Central Europe (SEC), Deutsch-Schweizerische Handelskammer, Swiss American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) and Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC).

In his statement, JCC Vice President Moraru illustrated how JCC is at the forefront of several significant economic developments:

Ukraine: In preparation for the reconstruction, JCC has launched the Swiss Ukrainian Reconstruction Agency (SURA) – www.sura-swiss.ch – in collaboration with the Ukrainian Swiss Business Association. SURA aims to consolidate all Ukraine-related reconstruction efforts. It is supported by SECO, EDA, Swiss business associations, and Ukrainian governmental and private sectors to facilitate Swiss involvement in the rebuilding process.

Central Asia and South Caucasus: There is growing interest in regions such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, particularly in engineering, energy, and infrastructure.

The JCC is also exploring new logistics routes between China and the West, which offer alternatives to the traditional northern routes through Russia and Belarus. This includes the trans-Caspian international transit route through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.

Free Trade Agreements: An important update is the Federal Council’s dispatch on February 21 regarding the EFTA countries’ free trade agreement with Moldova, emphasizing a comprehensive e-commerce chapter and a new model chapter on trade and sustainable development, now awaiting Parliament’s approval.

JCC anticipates increased demand for Swiss technology and investments in infrastructure in the coming years, particularly in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.